Need A Ride? Explore Fascinating Northern Thailand By Tuk Tuk!
Happy Thailand-Appreciation Month! Today, we move from the sunny beaches of Phuket to the lush mountains of Northern Thailand. The area is best known for stunning mountain vistas, impressive ancient temples and remote hill tribe villages. There is so much to discover, but how best to get around? Why not travel in the most Thai of all vehicles - the Tuk Tuk?! And while you are at it - why not move from the back seat to the driver's seat?! Not possible, you say? It looks like you haven't met The Tuk Tuk Club!
While working in tourism in Thailand, I was lucky enough to get to know some of the most exciting product ideas and the most interesting people. One of them was The Tuk Tuk Club and its founder Bruce Haxton.
British born Bruce has lived in Thailand for more than 15 years and has a passion for beautiful Northern Thailand and its people. He came up with the idea to show travellers the ‘authentic’ North of Thailand, he loves so much, in Thailand’s most iconic vehicle – the Tuk Tuk.
What makes The Tuk Tuk Club unique is that travellers learn how to drive a Tuk Tuk themselves, exploring the quiet mountain backroads of Northern Thailand from behind the wheel. This one-in-a-million adventure takes travellers along some stunning mountain vistas and remote villages where you get the chance to meet the local communities. You get to try home-cooked Northern Thai food and simply get to see places only a few tourists are lucky enough to experience.15
What's Special About Northern Thailand?
The North of Thailand is a fascinating area, far away from the busy city life of Bangkok or the palm-lined beaches of Samui and Phuket. Thailand borders Myanmar (previously Burma) to the North-West and Laos in the North East. Majestic mountains and thick forests dominate the landscape, dotted with ancient Buddhist temples where orange-robed monks quietly go about their daily lives. It’s a culturally rich area with many hill tribes like the Karen tribe, the largest ethnic minority known for their elongated necks covered in brass coils.
Chiang Mai is the most significant tourist hub in the North. Its walled city centre is packed with noteworthy temples such as Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang, dating back to the Lanna Kingdom of the 14th and 15th centuries. Apart from beautiful architecture, historic city walls and temples, Chiang Mai is also the adventure capital of Thailand. From river rafting, mountain biking to hill tribe- and jungle trekking – it’s heaven for adrenaline junkies! From Chiang Mai, you can also venture off to Chiang Rai’s famous White Temple and the Golden Triangle bordering Myanmar and Laos to the North-East. If you head in the opposite direction, you can explore the beautiful mountain roads along the Mae Hong Son Loop. This area to the North-West of Chiang Mai is known for its stunning views, National Parks and the rich Thai-Burmese culture.
Northern Thailand should definitely find a place on your list of places to visit! The cooler mountain climate is quite refreshing compared to the hot and humid weather in the South. The ever-changing landscape and fascinating, remote hill tribe villages invite you to discover a different side of Thailand. It’s the perfect playing ground for this unique Tuk Tuk adventure!
Slow and Responsible - Loving The Idea!
As I have mentioned before – possibly too many times – I love driving! Usually, four wheels are my forte, but in this case, I make an exception to explore Thailand on three wheels!
The idea of driving a Tuk Tuk through the remote mountain roads of beautiful Northern Thailand got me immediately hooked. It’s the perfect way to slow-travel, getting to know the land and its people while experiencing something truly unique!
With any of the Tuk Tuk Club trips, you also support the local communities. Everyone involved, from your Tuk Tuk guides to the family run restaurants you stop at – your money goes straight back into the community. The included activities such as jungle trekking or bamboo rafting are led by elders of the local villages. Travellers get to spend time at the Maevang Elephant Home, where you feed, walk and bathe the elephants. This small sanctuary is family run and home to only 8 elephants. The animals are kept in a relaxed, natural environment suited to their needs, where riding is not allowed. Showing these fantastic local projects to travellers to support the people and environment is a mission close to Bruce’s heart. Responsible travel is as much a pillar of the company as is having fun with the Tuk Tuks!
How Does it Work?
Choosing the right Tuk Tuk trip for you is pretty easy! First of all, you have to decide if you would be interested in driving yourself or if you prefer having a driver. You can then choose between a one-day Tuk-Tuk adventure, a 3-day, 5-day or 11-day trip where you will travel in small groups of a maximum of 12 fellow travellers. The itineraries are the same, no matter if you drive yourself or if you have a chauffeur.
On day one, you will be picked up early in the morning from your centrally located Chiang Mai Hotel to start your trip. From here, you will be driven out to the Tuk Tuk Club headquarters in beautiful Maevang Valley, about an hour drive from Chiang Mai. If you have opted for the self-drive option, you will then get your Tuk Tuk driving lessons. Only once the experienced guides are happy with your driving skills, you will be allowed to pilot the Tuk Tuk yourself. If you fail the driving test or discover that you don’t enjoy driving yourself, no problem at all. One of the Tuk Tuk guides will be your chauffeur while you relax in the backseat and take in the amazing scenery.
Once you are ready for the road, your adventure begins. Your group will ride as a convoy, always having one Tuk Tuk guide in the front and one Tuk Tuk guide in the back. Since you only ride along the lesser travelled backroads of Maevang, you don’t need to stress about city traffic. You can just sit back and enjoy the ride!
The Tuk Tuks
Bruce started the company off by driving thousands of kilometres in a borrowed Tuk Tuk from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. He soon realised that more comfort was needed to make this idea a success. Today, The Tuk Tuk Club operates with state of the art Tuk Tuks, converted to also make longer trips as comfortable as possible
The Tuk Tuks have been converted to offer travellers more head- and legroom. Cool boxes have been added for your drinks and walkie talkies have been installed to chat with your fellow travellers. The cherry on top are the Bluetooth speakers to play your favourite tunes during your Tuk Tuk adventure.
To be eligible to ride the Tuk Tuks, you do need to bring your valid driver’s license. Since the fleet now consists of 50% manual and 50% automatic Tuk Tuks, you can also drive with any drivers license – manual or automatic. If you book a multi-day trip, you will need to have an International Driving Permit (IDP). It’s easy to organise and costs next to nothing.
Each Tuk Tuk can hold a maximum of three adults. If you are a single traveller, you will most likely get paired up with someone else to share the Tuk Tuk. As a couple, however, you won’t get a third person in your vehicle. During the drive, you’ll take turns with your fellow traveller between driving and relaxing in the back. Children are generally allowed from 7 years and older as experience has shown that the trips are not suitable for younger kids.
Which Trip to Choose, What to Experience?
The options for your trip lengths solely depend on your time and what adventure suits you best. The Tuk Tuk Club offers a refreshingly small selection of trip options – enough to find the right thing for you and not to get frazzled with too many options.
The One-Day Trip
The quick and easy option is the one day trip around the Maevang Valley. You get picked up and dropped off from your Chiang Mai accommodation, a great short trip to enjoy a bit of Tuk Tuk fun and explore the area. During this trip, you get to explore the breathtaking mountain landscape of Maevang from the comfort of your Tuk Tuk. Later on, you get to spend some quality time with the elephants of the Maevang Elephant Home. You enjoy a traditional Northern Thai lunch right next to your new pachyderm friends before you take a river bath with them. Last but not least, you take to the Mekong River on a traditional bamboo raft with your local guide to explore the fascinating river landscape. If this is not a perfect day, I don’t what is?
Multi-Day Trips
Now it’s getting interesting! The Tuk Tuk Club flagship trip is ‘The True North’ 11-Day trip. The shorter 3-day ‘A Taste of the North’ and 5-day ‘Roads Less Travelled’ trips are shorter modules of the full 11-days. You still get to explore Thailand’s beautiful North covering the most exciting highlights and Must-See’s. Let’s delve deeper into the itinerary for a taste of what you get to explore during your Tuk Tuk adventure.
11 Day Tuk Tuk Adventure - The True North
It’s the perfect Slow Travel itinerary, taking your sweet time to fully experience Thailand’s beautiful North while learning how to ride a Tuk Tuk! The itinerary is jam-packed with amazing highlights, which you won’t have to share with hordes of other tourists. You’ll meet rural village communities one-on-one in the remote Thai mountains bordering Myanmar. Paired with tranquillity and some of the best mountain views available, you have time to escape your busy day to day life. You’ll visit some stunning Buddhist temples where you learn more about their significance and the local beliefs. And best of all, you get to try the fantastic local cuisine prepared freshly and home-cooked by local families!
Day 1 & 2: Exploring Maevang Valley
After the pick up from your hotel in Chiang Mai you’ll be driven to the Maevang Tuk Tuk Club headquarters, your base for the next two nights. On arrival, you’ll check in and get to know everyone over a scrumptious local lunch. After your meal, you start with the first part of your Tuk Tuk driving lessons. Once you got the basics of piloting a Tuk Tuk, you’ll get to practice by driving to a local temple where you ‘make merit’ to get a blessing for your upcoming journey!
The next day is spent with some more driving lessons in the morning to then set off to your first longer drive through the surrounding mountains to the Maevang Elephant Home. Here, you spend some time with the elephants while enjoying a lovely lunch. In the afternoon, you’ll get on your bamboo rafts with your local guides, gliding down the famous Mekong River! After your adventurous day, you hop back into your Tuk Tuk to drive back to basecamp.
Day 3 & 4: On the Road to Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain
Today, it’s time to leave your Maevang basecamp and get on the road! Your first stop is Thailand’s highest mountain – Doi Inthanon! The drive up is simply breathtaking, marvelling at the stunning scenery and the remote Karen hill tribe villages. Don’t worry, there are plenty of stops planned to enjoy the views and take some pictures. You will also stop at the hill tribe villages, where you experience first-hand how people live up here and taste some local coffee and snacks
You’ll arrive at your accommodation for the night by afternoon. Once you’ve checked in, you’ll board another traditional Thai vehicle, a ‘Songthaew’, driving you to the summit of Doi Inthanon. Songthaews are kind of a long pick-up truck with seats in the loading area. A fun way to get to the summit and enjoy the stunning views from Thailand’s highest mountain!
The next day, your Tuk Tuk gets a well-deserved rest, while you explore the Doi Inthanon National Park on foot! A local guide will take you on an easy 6 km jungle trek through the forest and to some stunning waterfalls. Lunch will be served along the way while you enjoy the scenery and take in the knowledge of your guide. You’ll return to your accommodation by afternoon where you can spend the rest of the day relaxing!
Day 5 & 6: The Winding Backroads of Mae Sariang & Mae Hong Son
For the next two days, you’ll get back into your Tuk Tuk and explore the winding mountain roads. Your first destination is Mae Sariang, a small place close to the Burmese border.
After a day of amazing scenery and sharp bending roads, you’ll get to rest at your accommodation in Mae Sariang. You overnight in a superb riverside accommodation, where you can cool off in the pool or enjoy a cold drink overlooking the stunning river
Leaving Mae Sariang behind, you’ll make your way to well-known Mae Hong Son. After another fantastic driving day with many WOW moments, you arrive at yet another outstanding, little guest house. Enjoy the afternoon by the pool, treat yourself to a drink and take in the views of the surrounding rice paddies.
Day 7 - 9: Time to Relax - Pools, Paddies and Pai
After so many highlights and driving days, it’s time to slow down. Today fully belongs to you. Spend the day by the pool, explore the area on foot or just take some time for yourself to relax.
Day 8 brings you then to the small town of Pai, the capital of the Mae Hong Son Loop. You will take your trusty Tuk Tuk through hundreds of bends leading the way to Pai. On arrival, you have once again time to relax in your beautiful guest house surrounded by rice paddies and mountains.
The following day is another rest day, where you have time to explore Pai. Hotsprings, local villages and ancient temples – there is loads to discover in and around town. Your Tuk Tuk guide will happily help you to arrange some activities. Otherwise, relax in your beautiful guest house.
Day 10 & 11 - The Last Leg
All good things must come to an end, unfortunately! On your last day on the road, you’ll slowly make your way from Pai back to Chiang Mai. Enjoy the winding roads and stunning mountain vistas one last time before you arrive back at the Tuk Tuk Club basecamp in Maevang. You get to spend the last evening together with your fellow travellers over a delicious local feast to reminisce about your Tuk Tuk adventures together!
The following day, it’s finally time to say goodbye! There is no rush to get back to Chiang Mai, so you can have a little lie-in before returning around 12.30 pm.
Some final thoughts...
I honestly cannot think of a more exciting way to get to know wonderful Northern Thailand and all its highlights! If you truly want to get off the beaten track, this is your ticket to get to know the ‘real’ Thailand! Away from the crowds, learning about the fascinating country with its hill tribes, culture and food. Plus, not many people can say that they have driven a Tuk Tuk through the backroads of Northern Thailand! Wait until you tell your friends about it!
If you get to know Bruce, you’ll see how passionate he is about his chosen home country and its people. The Tuk Tuk Club runs through his veins, not only for showing authentic Thailand to travellers but also to uplift his team and local communities. The Tuk Tuk Club staff and local partners are just as passionate about their home and just love showing it off to their guests. Travelling with the Tuk Tuk Club is not just a fun experience for you, but also a way to sustainably support rural communities!
For all details and more information, visit The Tuk Tuk Club website and check out departure dates for your Northern Thailand Tuk Tuk Adventure! A big Thank You to Bruce for sending through the pictures, video and information! If you want to watch more short clips on the Tuk Tuk trips, subscribe to The Tuk Tuk Club YouTube Channel.
I hope you enjoyed this excursion to Northern Thailand, getting to know another unique experience! Join us next week again, when we explore Chiang Mai and some little known treasures in the area!
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Have a fabulous week and until next time!
